It's 'Money Ball Madness', I tell ya!!!! 
Lisa
Lisa
being beaten vs losing
- Thread starter D-Sub
- Start date
Some ideas that may help...
-Always use the same pre shot routine....helps with consistency
-NEVER assume you are supposed to win....do not underestimate your opponent.
-Learn how to win when you are not "on".....play more safeties. getting ball in hand and running balls helps with confidence.
-Treat every shot the same mentally....dont think of shots as easy or hard, treat them all the same....helps you focus.
-All of the above...helps build confidence which is 90% of the battle.
Southpaw
-Always use the same pre shot routine....helps with consistency
-NEVER assume you are supposed to win....do not underestimate your opponent.
-Learn how to win when you are not "on".....play more safeties. getting ball in hand and running balls helps with confidence.
-Treat every shot the same mentally....dont think of shots as easy or hard, treat them all the same....helps you focus.
-All of the above...helps build confidence which is 90% of the battle.
Southpaw
Very good points.....where's my pen and paper?Southpaw said:
What many people already said, don't judge your speed based upon your top game. Top game only shows what you could be capable of.
But just out of curiosity, what is your top game? Any good straight pool runs recently? And do you know for a fact that players you seem to lose to have indeed weaker top games than you?
But just out of curiosity, what is your top game? Any good straight pool runs recently? And do you know for a fact that players you seem to lose to have indeed weaker top games than you?
D-Sub said:
This post touched me deeply lol. I was in your position 1 1/2 years ago and I'm just now clawing my way out of that pit. Here's what it takes to get out of where you are:
1. Take your time and focus on the table (get your contact points etc. before getting down over the shot), nothing else matters of course.
2. YOU are in control and need to realize this as you are stroking. The cueball does exactly what YOU make it do.
3. This one's probably the hardest. CONFIDENCE is key. If you manage to build up confidence in the shot at hand and it misses, condition yourself to take a mental note and move on. It's not bad that you missed it's just a step towards correcting whatever mistake made you miss.
4. Read books on the mental game (Inner Game of Tennis is a great one I highly recommend) and devote time to putting the material in the books into practice on the table.
That will get you started... another great idea is to take lessons
Very simple to diagnosis but hard to cure. You see competition as a threat and not an oppty. Your body and mind becomes hurried because of human nature to have a fight or flight mentality. You need to see competiting as an oppty.D-Sub said:
Most humans excell when they have an oppty and run like hell (hooking urself on the 8) when they see a threat. I fought the same battle for many years and now I am free.
To play your best you need a high energy level producing positive emotions seeing things as an oppty produces those feelings.
Threats produce high energy levels with negative emotions. High energy levels are still good and you may play ok but the negative emotions will always get you in the end it destroys your confidence.
Russ is right about the book.
Listen to Russ
He's right on the money. Best book ever written for pool is the Inner Game of Tennis. Only thing I would add is dont get your self esteem tied to winning a game of pool. Ultimately its just a game and when you tie your self esteem in there it just adds more pressure.
Get the book.
He's right on the money. Best book ever written for pool is the Inner Game of Tennis. Only thing I would add is dont get your self esteem tied to winning a game of pool. Ultimately its just a game and when you tie your self esteem in there it just adds more pressure.
Get the book.
Shot routines
I'd like to elaborate. Don't have much time, so, briefly:
My "under pressure" game shot way, way up recently, thanks to a few experiences that taught me something that changed the way I practice AND the way I compete.
First, I have a pre-shot routine that I know cold, and that I can return to anytime I want. When I'm shooting really well, I don't need it as much, so I skip a couple of steps, but even then, I try to remain focused on HOW IT FEELS TO PLAY POOL RIGHT rather than what I'm trying to accomplish.
Example:
Tough shot on the 8 to get to the case 9 because my opponent just missed and left me ugly. So:
1) Offense or defense? Think about it. What's my best shot? I do this while STANDING UP. I walk around the table if necessary (it usually isn't).
2) I make my choice. Both choices involve a place for the object ball to end up and a place for the cue ball to end up. Maybe I have a couple of options even after picking offense or defense. Fine; I consider each one for JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS and then pick the one I feel most comfortable with right then. Tomorrow, I might feel more comfortable with a different shot. Today, it's this one.
3) Where's my aiming point for the shot I want? I align my cue and then my body, but I'm still standing up.
4) I get into my shooting stance, adapting for the particular shot. You can't do the textbook stance every time, or your favorite stance every time. The table can get in the way, etc.
5) Now my cue, my body, and my mind are all aligned. What's my job now? TO STROKE STRAIGHT AT THE RIGHT SPEED.
6) I know, through practice and repitition, what a good stroke feels like. I focus ONLY on what my arm feels like as I take some practice strokes. When it feels right, and I believe I've gauged the speed right, I draw back slowly, and stroke straight.
7) Again--I've forgotten all about the eight ball and the nine ball and the match and the tournament or whatever. (At least, I should have. I usually can do that now.) I'm focused ONLY on HOW MY ARM FEELS.
8) I stroke straight. Sometimes my speed control is off. (Okay, quite a bit of times--that's my worst area.) But my angle control is usually quite good, and I virtually always hit where I'm aiming now.
9) Sometimes I find out I aimed at the wrong spot, because I missed. Fine; learn that miss so you factor it in next time. Sometimes I get the speed wrong and leave myself a tougher shot than I wanted. Tough; this is what I'm stuck with. I just pretend my opponent made the previous shot and this is what I have to deal with, so I go back to step one.
The critical insight for me was to focus on how my shooting arm feels. It gives my ever-active mind something to do. When all my concentration is on my shooting arm, I play my best pool.
Johnnyz86 said:
I'd like to elaborate. Don't have much time, so, briefly:
My "under pressure" game shot way, way up recently, thanks to a few experiences that taught me something that changed the way I practice AND the way I compete.
First, I have a pre-shot routine that I know cold, and that I can return to anytime I want. When I'm shooting really well, I don't need it as much, so I skip a couple of steps, but even then, I try to remain focused on HOW IT FEELS TO PLAY POOL RIGHT rather than what I'm trying to accomplish.
Example:
Tough shot on the 8 to get to the case 9 because my opponent just missed and left me ugly. So:
1) Offense or defense? Think about it. What's my best shot? I do this while STANDING UP. I walk around the table if necessary (it usually isn't).
2) I make my choice. Both choices involve a place for the object ball to end up and a place for the cue ball to end up. Maybe I have a couple of options even after picking offense or defense. Fine; I consider each one for JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS and then pick the one I feel most comfortable with right then. Tomorrow, I might feel more comfortable with a different shot. Today, it's this one.
3) Where's my aiming point for the shot I want? I align my cue and then my body, but I'm still standing up.
4) I get into my shooting stance, adapting for the particular shot. You can't do the textbook stance every time, or your favorite stance every time. The table can get in the way, etc.
5) Now my cue, my body, and my mind are all aligned. What's my job now? TO STROKE STRAIGHT AT THE RIGHT SPEED.
6) I know, through practice and repitition, what a good stroke feels like. I focus ONLY on what my arm feels like as I take some practice strokes. When it feels right, and I believe I've gauged the speed right, I draw back slowly, and stroke straight.
7) Again--I've forgotten all about the eight ball and the nine ball and the match and the tournament or whatever. (At least, I should have. I usually can do that now.) I'm focused ONLY on HOW MY ARM FEELS.
8) I stroke straight. Sometimes my speed control is off. (Okay, quite a bit of times--that's my worst area.) But my angle control is usually quite good, and I virtually always hit where I'm aiming now.
9) Sometimes I find out I aimed at the wrong spot, because I missed. Fine; learn that miss so you factor it in next time. Sometimes I get the speed wrong and leave myself a tougher shot than I wanted. Tough; this is what I'm stuck with. I just pretend my opponent made the previous shot and this is what I have to deal with, so I go back to step one.
The critical insight for me was to focus on how my shooting arm feels. It gives my ever-active mind something to do. When all my concentration is on my shooting arm, I play my best pool.
D-Sub,
At least, by your own admission, you have talent and play pretty "sporty" most of the time. Me, I suck at pool. But, I play it for fun. If it ceases to be fun for you to continue, if it were me, I'd take a hiatus from the game for a while and evaluate just exactly what I want to get out of the game of pool. I've gone two and out more times than I'd like to admit. Many of my losses come from me "losing" the game instead of my opponent winning it. But, I've won or placed in my share of local tournaments. I've beaten players better than me and been beaten by players that I should have beaten. It all evens itself out in the long run (just like a coin flip
). The thought I always come away with after any day/night of pool is: Damn, I had fun. Win or lose.
Maniac
At least, by your own admission, you have talent and play pretty "sporty" most of the time. Me, I suck at pool. But, I play it for fun. If it ceases to be fun for you to continue, if it were me, I'd take a hiatus from the game for a while and evaluate just exactly what I want to get out of the game of pool. I've gone two and out more times than I'd like to admit. Many of my losses come from me "losing" the game instead of my opponent winning it. But, I've won or placed in my share of local tournaments. I've beaten players better than me and been beaten by players that I should have beaten. It all evens itself out in the long run (just like a coin flip
). The thought I always come away with after any day/night of pool is: Damn, I had fun. Win or lose.Maniac
Before Jude chimes in and says you should quit pool and send your cues via USPS to him, I'd like to state that I think he has enough cues and you should send them to me.D-Sub said:
either that or take two asprin and call to reserve your table in the morning.
Ahh, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...we've all done it.
Now, stop doing it. Move on...get better.
Now, stop doing it. Move on...get better.
Heart
Buddy Hall calls it "Heart"
Buddy Hall calls it "Heart"
gpeezy
for sale!
Its difficult to control a pool game when your thinking about it. That either makes sense or not. I think it was Yogi Berra that said ' how am I supposed to hit if I'm thinking' when ask about what he thought about when hitting. Reason I used the "thinking" approach with you is because its easy to over think yourself when your trying to bear down on your competition and can cause worse play and even slumps. Be confident, take missed balls as a miss and a way of controlling yourself from frustration , and play like you know how. Its tough to play your best every time is also good to remember.D-Sub said:
D-Sub said:
It's definitely a confidence issue, and when the "head talk" turns negative or "fearful" (fear of losing, fear of looking bad, fear of failure, etc...) it's going to take your stroke down the tubes. I don't gamble much, but I choke against the GHOST! I only recently made the breakthrough that I'll just about always beat casual players. Any competitor, especially one that I "should" beat, threw me off mentally to where I couldn't make a shot. I'm finally past that, but only after putting myself in the situation more frequently. There's still one guy that I work with, who NEVER plays anymore, but who is an uncanny shotmaker. He is not a serious player, he knows nothing about shape or patterns, but sinks almost EVERYTHING. I still get mental playing this guy, but I'm improving. Last session (we play 8-ball about four times a year) he beat me the first six games and in every one of those games I lost on the 8-ball either by blowing shape or dogging it. The good news is he didn't beat me again for the rest of the session. Now, mind you, this was just for braggin' rights, no money! THe problem is, the talk going on in my head is:
"he's not a serious player, I practice everyday, I SHOULD BEAT HIM
"it will be embarrasing to lose to him" (fear of looking bad)
I don't know of any way to overcome this except experience. Hopefully other will have some suggestions.
I suggest finding ways to put small (increasing over time) amounts of pressure on yourself during practice or while shooting in "friendly" conditions. Reward yourself for runouts in practice. Play cheap sets or play your buddies for beers or hamburgers or whatever. In any case, do things that will help you get used to the feeling that the game, match, or cheese(burger) is on the line on this THIS SHOT RIGHT HERE!
I posted on this topic a while back as it related to my waterskiing career and some people seemed to find it helpful. I won't repeat it here because I'm sure y'all are getting tired of my waterski analogies
I think this is a link to the post: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=778890#post778890
Best of luck.
Tom
blah blah
Shoebat
effing the ineffable
Effing the Ineffable
-Gene Black, Jr.
epigraph:
straightforward mind
is the place of practice
straightforward mind
is the Pure Land
-Hui Neng
Never shoot pool
when the target
in your head
is flashing.
Opened mind
least likely to squeal.
All you really
need to know
is what differentiates
an empty head
from an empty mind.
Beyond the definition
is the dance.
Effing the Ineffable
-Gene Black, Jr.
epigraph:
straightforward mind
is the place of practice
straightforward mind
is the Pure Land
-Hui Neng
Never shoot pool
when the target
in your head
is flashing.
Opened mind
least likely to squeal.
All you really
need to know
is what differentiates
an empty head
from an empty mind.
Beyond the definition
is the dance.
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